Waveform modeling and binary dynamics

The analysis of LIGO data hinges on accurate models for the gravitational wave signal emitted during the coalescence of black holes and neutron stars. General Relativity provides the theoretical framework for these signals as well as the full spacetime dynamics, most accurately accessible through numerical relativity simulations. We are interested in understanding the non-linear dynamics of the general relativistic two-body problem and exploring the rich phenomenology they imprint on signals that can be detected by LIGO or next-generation ground- and space-based detectors. We construct models that can be used for analyzing compact binary data, including effects such as higher-order modes, eccentricity, and spin-induced orbital precession.